Spirit Hotel's debut Rêve is an examination of the mind. It’s vivid, disorienting, and hard to shake. Fronted by Leila May Hauck, the record moves between haunting and harmonious, mirroring Hauck's own fascination with dreams, memory, and the unreliable narrator within all of us. We sat down with Leila to talk about turning visions into songs, the eerie pull of the Farfisa organ, daily creative rituals, and what it means to make music from a place you're not sure you can fully trust.

Outer Shapes make music for your worst days and your loudest feelings. Their latest EP, FORWARD BACKWARD, traces the arc of relapse through hip hop drums, crashing guitars, and lyrics too honest to look away from. We connected with the pair to talk catharsis, DIY creativity, and what it means to feel all your feelings.

There’s an ever-present energy on Trembler’s Total Sorry — like a ghost moving in and out of view. It unfolds slowly, but it never lets go. We connected with frontman Luke Gonzales about experimentation, collaboration, gatekeeping and more.

This month LA-based songwriter and producer Rusty Santos releases his new album Psycho Horses. Written and tracked n a continuous cycle, the album leans into the space between dreams and reality. We talk with Rusty about turning one idea into an album, voice notes, Japanese synth pop and more.

Brooklyn band TV Moms set intentions when making their new album Celebrity Dust. The grunge/noise rock album was created using digital recording tools that emulate equipment available before 1986. No AI or auto-tune was used. In our latest “6 Things W/” feature, frontman Lucas Price talks impactful art versus therapy, accidental songwriting, prepping for the road and more.

On his second album Pleasure Drives, Tim Carr (Hand Habits, Perfume Genius) builds with a new sonic palette. The album mixes lo-fi recording techniques with strongly crafted productions. We spoke with Carr about 90s nostalgia, home recording, choosing a feeling over perfection, being inspired by a mental portrait and more.

Chicago power pop band Time Thieves are back with their second EP of the year, If you Survive. The releases showcases the band’s strength as songwriters, focusing on their original intention: to write bops. We spoke to frontman Jonathan Pool about collaboration, selling merch, buying too many pedals and sending a live goat to hell.

Alt-rock duo Gardenia are making big noise with just two people. On their new EP Don’t Look Up, Ryan Zakin and Tamir Malik channel thunderous drums, distorted bass riffs, and sharp, storytelling lyrics that reflect daily occurrences as well as the chaos of the world around them. Produced by Jack Shirley (Gouge Away, Deafheaven), the three-song release pushes their sound to new heights. We spoke with the band about breaking through creative blocks, optimizing studio spaces, stoner rock and underrated records. Check out the our interview to learn “6 Things” about New York’s Gardenia.

Imagine yourself walking through an eerie and enchanting world scored by the sounds of 90’s alt-rock. That’s what listening to Faint Illusions, the new EP by Austin grunge band Farmer’s Wife, is like. In our “6 Things W/”feature, the band dives deep into their songwriting process, DIY visual aesthetic, and touches on how skate games, horror films, and sad girl Notes app reflections all collide in their music.

On their fifth album Poison, French band CATHEDRALE dive into the nuances of ordinary life, drawing influence from traffic jams, solitude, and the poetry of Baudelaire. The record deepens their post-punk sound while holding onto the garage and power pop energy they are known for. We spoke with frontman Jules Maison about the band’s creative influences, writing habits, music sharing, and his take on guitar pedals.

Miami alternative band Ex Monarch blends 90s grunge with modern rock. Their most recent single “Rotten,” which we featured as one of our faves back in October, the band calls “an honest expression of grief.” 

“We want our music to create a sense of empathy, and a space to expand the conversation and destigmatize topics that are hard to talk about,” says vocalist Amanda Pasler.

In our “6 Things W/Ex Monarch” the band touches on sonic influences, creating a balance on social media, guilty pleasures and more.

The Noir Dalis is a Los Angeles-based duo featuring vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Carlos Bojorquez and drummer Linda Ventura. The pair is known for their collaborative songwriting, blending influences from psychedelic, garage, and post-punk. Their debut single, "Strawberry Jones," was recorded at Joshua Tree Studios with producer Tommy Dietrick and Jared Artaud (The Vacant Lots). Their self-titled debut album was released earlier this year, followed by additional singles, including the new 7” Rise. In "6 Things W/The Noir Dalis," they share insights about their favorite gear, creative exercises and more.

Pittsburgh post-punk band Valleyview recently released their debut album Still Life. The band, consisting of Jesse Farine, Jared Anderson, Ben Volk, and Ethan Herring, draws inspiration from both contemporary and classic post-punk acts, including Protomartyr and Joy Division.

In our "6 Things W/Valleyview" Farine talks the band's evolving guitar sound, stepping away from music to defeat writer's block, their approach to visual work and the importance of supporting others in the independent music scene.